Primary and Secondary Sources-Are They All Created Equal?

Are all sources created equal?

The short answer to the question is no.

In history (as in other fields) there are primary and secondary sources, and they are different—some sources are primary, some are secondary and a few can be considered both primary and secondary simultaneously.

Primary Sources provide us with first-hand evidence and raw data that gives you direct access to the subject that you are investigating.

Primary sources were created during the period on which the subject is focused.

For example, to be considered a primary source related to the American Revolution the source must have been created by someone during the Revolutionary Period. If the source is focused on the Revolutionary War but was created in 1890, then it is a secondary source because the creator was not present during the American Revolution.

Examples of primary sources include diaries and journals written in the period, newspaper articles, government and military documents, photographs and videos, account books, maps, drawings, and paintings to name a few.

Secondary Sources provide us with secondhand information and/or commentary from other contributors. These sources analyze and synthesize, describe, and interpret primary sources.

Examples of secondary sources include encyclopedias, textbooks, book reviews, academic books, paintings, maps, and art created after the event that is the focus.

How Do I Tell Whether a Source Is a Primary or Secondary Source?

There are questions you can ask yourself if you have a question about whether a source is a primary or secondary source.

They include:

Was your source created by a person directly involved in the event that is the focus?
Does the source provide original information, or does it also provide commentary and interpretation from other people or sources?

Is one type of source better than another one?

Primary sources are more credible since they were created in the period; however, good research utilizes both types of sources. Primary sources are typically the main sources used by researchers and historians since primary sources are as close as we can get to the past.

Primary sources are best used for discovering new information, providing credible evidence for arguments, and for accessing authoritative information about the topic.

Secondary sources are most useful for a full overview of a topic, for understanding how other researchers and historians have approached a topic previously, and for easy, quick access to a large number of primary sources in one location (ex. textbook, anthology, or database) that can be too time-consuming or difficult to access on your own.

Secondary sources can be used to gain perspective through background information, to compare or contrast your arguments with another person’s ideas, or to locate primary sources that you can’t access.

A word of caution: Always be sure to cite all sources that you use in your research/assignments, both primary and secondary, to avoid plagiarism.

Primary or Secondary Source?

Review what you've learned in the activity below. For each item listed, determine if it is a primary or secondary source.

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